NURSING shortages have forced Powys Health Board to close beds at hospitals in both Brecon and Radnorshire.

The health board has confirmed it has currently reduced the number of beds it has available to take patients at both the War Memorial Hospital in Brecon and Knighton Hospital.

The bed closures come as the health board has struggled to recruit more nurses - despite attempting to recruit additional nurses from overseas.

A spokesman for the health board confirmed three beds are currently closed at the 30-bed Breconshire War Memorial Hospital with capacity at the smaller Knighton Community Hospital reduced by the same number.

The spokesman said: "Both are due to nursing shortages."

It is unclear how long the hospitals have been operating at reduced capacity or when the beds will become available again.

In a statement the health board said it had so far failed to attract overseas nurses to work in Powys. It also said it was too soon to tell if Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union, following last month’s referendum, would impact on its recruitment prospects.

The statement said: "Powys Teaching Health Board has undertaken a recruitment to recruit nurses from overseas but as yet no nurses have been appointed from outside of the UK.

"It is too soon to say what impact the result of the EU referendum will have on recruitment of nurses and other health professionals from EU countries."

In March the health board warned it could close beds at Brecon’s War Memorial Hospital to ensure the safety of patients.

It confirmed said staff sickness at the hospital had increased following an external investigation into the hospital after a complaint about patient care.

Powys Teaching Health Board said it would have to consider shutting beds to ensure it is able to maintain "safe staffing levels".

It was revealed the board’s director of nursing Rhiannon Jones told a committee staffing levels were being closely monitored.

"If necessary the option of closing hospital beds to ensure safe staffing levels would be considered," said Ms Jones in the committee minutes.

The external investigation had focussed on care standards at the hospital as well as staff behaviours and culture.

A spokesman for the health board said at the time it still has "a number of nursing vacancies" at the hospital but was actively recruiting.

A spokesman said in March: " We continue to use bank and agency nurses to ensure safe staffing levels.

"The number of available beds are managed on a day to day basis, taking into account the dependency of patients, demand for beds and the availability of staff. There are 15 beds on Y Bannau Ward that are all open, and the 15 available beds on Epynt Ward are adjusted accordingly to ensure safe patient care."